Rachel Walker: News

I'm totally delighted to be supporting the fantastic Runrig on their UK tour kicking off next week with two sell out gigs in Eden Court, Inverness!

I'll be on the road for twelve nights over the next three weeks, and finish up with two nights in Glasgow Barrowlands!

Check out my calendar dates for full details x

I'm delighted that my pupil Robert Robertson has won his category for Gaelic singing for the second year in a row. I'm even more proud that he won the trophy for the best Gaelic mark of the day. 'S math a rinn thu Rabairt!

It's my turn tomorrow in the qualifying competitions for the Gold medal - so I'm off to get the beauty sleep before a long (and nerve racking) day!!

Our tour will kick off on 23rd October at the Aros Centre in Portree, and we're all looking forward to getting on the road. Dates are up on the website - keep checking though as there are still a few gigs coming in!

I'm really excited about the new line up for my touring band this year. I'll be joined as usual by the lovely Ewan Robertson, as well as Jenna Reid and Angus MacKenzie (Daimh), who is standing in for Carol-Anne MacKay who is expecting her first baby in August.

Venues will be announced soon!

The Skipinnish Showcase Concert at Celtic Connections was a huge success, selling out weeks before the Festival even started. All the artistes on the label were there on the night, including Norman MacLean in the audience.

Everyone was in great form, the Skerryvore boys had their three piece brass section with them, and we were joined by special guests such as Ewan Robertson, fresh from his BBC Young Musician of the Year award, Ewan Henderson and Liam Brown.

The night was such a success, we're hoping to repeat the event in a Highland venue for all those who missed out. Further info here when it's all confirmed.

Thanks to everyone who helped to make the night such a good one - John Carmichael (Iain Mac Ille Mhicheil) was in fine fettle as Fear an Taigh for the night, Gavin Ramsay worked really hard to get a great sound in a difficult venue and of course the Skipinnish boys for making it all possible.

The night was filmed by Mac TV and should be appearing on TV later in the year.

Hello again!

Had a great night out at the Trad awards on saturday night, it was lovely to catch up with friends and enjoy the first baby free night with my husband since wee Seumas arrived! Well done to all the winners.

Have a couple of gigs coming up, and will be recording for a new series of Guthan nan Gaidheal for STV this week.

James Graham's album is doing very well and has recieved some very good reviews. He'll be singing at the Skipinnish Records Showcase concert on 30th Jan at St Andrews in the Square for Celtic Connections. Also apprearing that night will be Calum Alex MacMillan, Archie McAllister, Skerryvore, Deoch n Dorus, Skipinnish and myself. I'm really looking forward to it!

Just to let you all know that James will be launching his album this week during the Mod in Fort William.

The Launch will take place at 6.30pm on Thurs 18th Oct in the Capercaillie bar. It's open invute and all are welcome to come along and listen to James perform a few tracks from the album and of course to buy your copy!

I'll be there with the Skipinnish boys and of course the family - wee Seumus will be attending his first Mod!!

Hope to see you there...

I had a wee baby boy on Sat 29th september at 11.25 am. All went well, and myself and wee Seumas are back at home and doing fine.

Thanks to every one who has sent their congratulations, and if you're out at the Mod in Fort William, watch out for the Skipinnish boys doing some head wetting!!

Rachel x

I'm delighted to say that James Graham's new album is now finished and will be ready for launch at the National Mod in October. It's sounding great, with lots of great musiciansfor support, and of course the excellent singing that James is well known for. The album will be called Greisean Greine (Sunny Spells) - look out for it in shops in October.

I'm now waiting for the arrival of my second baby - due any day now! Hoping for a smooth delivery, I'll let you know how it all goes!!

Well, the tour kicked off last night and we had a great time in the Old Brewery in Cromarty, although we had to get up far too early this morning because the fire alarm went off due to a piece of burned toast!!!!

We're heading to Lochcarron tonight (After a wee relaxing facial in Inverness for myself and Carol Anne), and we're looking forward to the rest of the tour now we have the first one under our belts!!

Hope to see you there!!

The tour dates are now all confirmed and we're looking forward to getting back on the road. We start next Thursday 21st June in Cromarty, in the lovely Old Brewery.

We've been practicing hard and it's sounding great! Hope to see some of you at one of the venues over the next few weeks. Check out the Calendar page for all venues and details on how to book tickets.

There seems to be a baby boom going on in Lochaber at the moment, and I'll be joining in with a new arrival due in October! A bit of a scary thought to think I'll have two wee ones (and a husband) to look after, but I'm looking forward to it.

Also looking rorward to my summer tour - dates starting to come in now, will let you know when it's all confirmed.

I'm delighted to be producing James Graham's new album which will be released on Skipinnish Records later in the year.

We go into the studio in early May, and hope to release the album in time for the National Mod in Fort William.

I have been a huge fan of James' singing since the very first time I heard him, and am really lookng forward to working with him over the next few months.

Just at the end of a busy week after our recording for Robbie Shepherd's Take the Floor and a very enjoyable gig in Edinburgh for the opening of the Ceilidh Culture festival, where I was delighted to perform alongside Kenna Campbell and to join her for a set of puirt a beul - a real honour!!

You can hear the Robbie Shepherd programme this saturday (31st March) from 7.30pm on Radio Scotland.

I'm really excited to have been asked to do a guest spot on Robbie Shepherd's famous Take the Floor programme! It will be recorded on 22nd March to be broadcast a little later in the year - I'll keep you posted!!

Pleased to say, I'm feeling much better and I have my voice back!!

I'm off to Poolewe on Friday 2nd March for a Mod fundraising ceilidh along with Skipinnish and Innes MacLeod, which I'm looking forward to.

March also has gigs in Edinburgh's Queens Hall on 24th and a Skipinnish Showcase concert in Fort William on 31st. Hope to see some of you there!!

Goodness me, teaching in schools sometimes has it's drawbacks! I have had a horrible flu for the last two weeks, and as a result no voice!

I had to miss out on my trip to Brussels unfortunately as they wouln't have enjoyed my singing in the slightest, but hopefully I'll be back to normal soon. Thanks to all the singers I contacted to try and fill my place last minute, and all those who are suffering from this bug too - get well soon!

On a plus note, two really exciting things are now scheduled for the coming year - details at the beginning of March.

Hello to all, and Happy New Year. I hope you all had a fantastic festive season and that being back ot work is not too stressful!

I am currently looking forward to my gigs at Celtic Connections next weekend. On Saturday 20th Jan there will be a celebration of 21 Years of Feis Rois, where I developed a real passion for Gaelic song. This concert features many musicians who attended Feis Rois including Anna Massie, John Somerville, Lauren MacColl, Matheu Watson, Mairearad Green, Katie MacKenzie, Rachel Newton and many many more. It will be held in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall in the main auditorium at 1pm.

The second concert is the Tiree night, which we perormed last year in Tiree as part of the A Bhuain homecoming festival. It's a great concert, showcasing the wealth of fantastic songs and poetry that have been composed by Tiree bards. the concert features James Graham, Wilma Kennedy, Bernie Smith, Iain Brown, Skipinnish and Skerryvore and well as Ingrid Henderson. Come along if you can to the Strathclyde Suite in the Concert Hall on Sun 21st Jan at 8pm.

I'll also hopefully be recording for a television programme during my time down in Glasgow, and I'll keep you posted when I know more.

Thanks to you all for your support over the last year. I'm really looking forward to the rest of 2007 and whatever it may bring!!

Rachel x x x

I'm delighted to have been asked to take part in the BBC Radio nan Gaidheal Hogmanay broadcast! You can hear it from 11.30pm 31st December right through to the new year. Skipinnish will be the house band for the night, and besides myself there will be plenty singers to help celebrate in style. More info here soon!

Guthan nan Gaidheal, the programme I recorded for earlier in the month is now being shown on Scottish TV on a Tuesday night at 11.30pm. As well as myself there are plenty of great singers including Cathy Ann MacPhee, James Graham, Kathleen MacInnes, Sineag MacIntyre, Darren MacLean, Kirsteen L MacDonald and many more. if you can stay up that late I hope you enjoy it!!